Department of Construction Science

The construction industry is the largest industry in the nation with more than 7.7 million employees who annually produce more than 5 percent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product. Managing the construction process requires a broad understanding of the principles of construction science as well as leadership skills in motivating teams and integrating a wide range of tasks to produce a completed project.

The primary mission of the Department of Construction Science is to prepare students for successful careers and future leadership roles in construction and construction-related industries. The program integrates principles of architecture, technology, engineering, business and project management preparing students to effectively manage the total construction process. Courses taught by the Department include construction materials and methods, fundamental design courses in soils and foundations, mechanical and electrical systems and structures, project control systems and management, construction law, labor and contracts, and industry emphasis courses. In addition, related courses from other colleges are included to ensure a broad base of knowledge in business, engineering and construction fundamentals.

Enrollment in Construction Science Upper Level Program

Students must have satisfactorily completed at least 54 hours of coursework with a minimum GPA of 2.5 for those courses completed at Texas A&M University.

Students must satisfactorily complete the following courses as part of the 54 hours of coursework with a minimum of a 2.5 GPA to be considered to upper level:

Course List
Code	Title	Semester Credit Hours
Construction Science
COSC 153	Introduction to the Construction Industry	3
COSC 175/AREN 175	Construction Graphics Communication	3
COSC 253	Construction Materials and Methods I	3
COSC 275	Estimating I	3
COSC 284	Introduction to Applied Workplace Ethics, Etiquette and Communications	1
ENGL 104	Composition and Rhetoric	3
ENGL 210	Technical and Professional Writing	3
MATH 140	Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences	3
MATH 142	Business Calculus	3
PHYS 201	College Physics	4
CHEM 119	Fundamentals of Chemistry I	4
or GEOL 101 & GEOL 102	or Principles of Geology and Principles of Geology Laboratory
Total Semester Credit Hours		33

Students must apply for upper level through the department. The application is to be submitted the semester or summer session in which all of the above criteria are met.
- March 1 for Summer admission
- June 1 for Fall admission
- October 1 for Spring admission

Construction Science (COSC)

COSC 153 Introduction to the Construction Industry

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Characteristics of the construction industry; types of construction companies; contracts; people involved in a project, their responsibilities and interrelationships; evolution of a project; interpreting working drawings; construction bonds; contract documents. Prerequisite: COSL or COSC majors.

COSC 175/AREN 175 Construction Graphics Communication

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Visualization, interpretation and communication of graphical geometry in construction design and engineering; graphical analysis of problems; sketching applications, computer aided design and fundamentals of information modeling software; introduction to common quantitative tools in construction. Prerequisite: AREN and COSL majors only. Cross Listing: AREN 175/COSC 175.

COSC 184 Construction Safety I

Credit 1. 1 Lecture Hour. Administration and application of the OSHA Act in the construction industry; includes standards, the general duty clause, competent person, and hazard identification; fulfills the requirements for the ten-hour OSHA certifications. Prerequisite: Construction science major.

COSC 202 Introduction to Housing

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Overview of the social, economic, environmental and cultural impacts of housing on communities and nations; varied prospectives to understand the different facets of housing and their impacts on the human experience; critical thinking skills to gain knowledge and to be informed of housing choices.

COSC 222 Social Issues in the History of the Construction Environment

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. . Introduction to cultural and social issues in the built environment; exploration of how individual and collective ideas, values and beliefs are expressed in the construction environment; how the field of construction internalizes and thinks about these values across cultures and how authority, majorities and privilege affect the creativity of the built environment; emphasizes civil discourse to help recognize positionality and work collaboratively in a multicultural society.

COSC 253 Construction Materials and Methods I

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. (ARCH 2312) Construction Materials and Methods I. Overview of construction materials, methods, and sequences of the construction process; introduction to material specifications and construction drawings; focus of study includes wood, concrete, masonry, and steel.

COSC 275 Estimating I

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 3 Lab Hours. Systems approach to determining required quantities of construction materials; quantification of various types of foundation systems, structural systems and building envelope systems; excerpts of contract documents from a variety of different building projects. Prerequisite: COSC 253; concurrent enrollment in COSC 175/AREN 175.

COSC 284 Introduction to Applied Workplace Ethics, Etiquette and Communications

Credit 1. 1 Lecture Hour. Professional ethics, etiquette and communication for employment preparation with a construction or construction related company; various case studies emphasizing personal accountability, integrity and codes of conduct; etiquette and communication of all forms will be presented, applied and discussed in reflective writing assignments in order to prepare to meet the professional expectations of employers upon graduation. Prerequisite: Construction science majors.

COSC 285 Directed Studies

Credits 1 to 3. 1 to 3 Other Hours. Special project in construction science. Project must be approved by the department. Prerequisite: Approval of department head.

COSC 291 Research

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Other Hours. Research conducted under the direction of faculty member in construction science. May be repeated 2 times for credit. Prerequisites: Freshman or sophomore classification; approval of instructor.

COSC 301 Construction Surveying

Credits 2. 1 Lecture Hour. 3 Lab Hours. Practical applications of surveying to the practice of construction project management; distance, grade and angular measurement; surveying equipment and its application to construction layout and control; surveying documentation and field work; introduction to other three dimensional measurement and positioning systems. Prerequisite: Admission to upper level in Construction Science.

COSC 303 High Performance Residential Building

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration into the concepts of homebuilding operations using green building methods, tools to reach consumers, organizational and operational theories and market driven green building solutions; alignment with ICC 700 National Green Building Standard; operations of publicly traded and private production homebuilders and best practices; application for the professional designation of Certified Green Professional (CGP) given by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) upon completion. Prerequisite: Admission to upper level in Construction Science.

COSC 310 Design and Construction Leadership Education I

Credit 1. 1 Lecture Hour. Promotion of personal leadership skills utilized within the design and construction professions; primary understanding and developing management skills with specific attention to developing personal attributes and skills necessary for achieving organizational goals. Prerequisite: CARC majors only pursuing the minor in leadership in the design & construction professions; junior or senior classification.

COSC 321 Structural Systems I

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Introduction to the physical principles that govern classical statics and strengths of materials through the design of architectural structures. Prerequisite: Admission to upper level in Construction Science.

COSC 322 Construction Discourse Leadership

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Practicum on leadership skills; leading and managing difficult discussions in a professional setting; mentorship of new students; presentation of difficult discussion topics, demonstration of constructive critique methods. Prerequisite: COSC 222; Junior or senior classification; construction science majors or leadership in the design and construction profession minors.

COSC 325 Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Systems in Construction I

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Design, operation, materials and installation methods of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems in construction. Prerequisite: Admission to upper level in construction science or minor in facility management.

COSC 326 Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Systems in Construction II

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. In depth coverage of mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) system operations, materials and installation methods; development of MEP drawings, specifications and contract documents as used in MEP specialty contracting industry. Prerequisite: COSC 325.

COSC 333 Project Management for Facility Managers

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Overview of project management for facility managers covering concepts and components of project management and their interrelationships in construction practice. Prerequisite: Minor in facility management; junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

COSC 353 Construction Project Management

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. An introduction to construction project management covering concepts of project selection, estimating bidding, scheduling, subcontracting practices, cost controls, project documentation, construction bonds, insurance, payments and the elements of close out; development of professional communication skills through prepared multi-media presentations. Prerequisite: Admission to upper level in Construction Science.

COSC 354 Construction Materials and Methods II

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Continuation of COSC 253; emphasis on advanced building methods for the assembly of building systems; focus of study includes concrete, masonry, and steel. Prerequisite: COSC 253.

COSC 375 Estimating II

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 3 Lab Hours. Quantification and pricing of direct field costs and general condition costs from construction documents; the preparation of complete lump sum bid package ready for project execution; complete set of contract documents required. Prerequisites: Admission to upper level in Construction Science; COSC 275.

COSC 381 Professional Ethics in the Construction Industry

Credit 1. 1 Lecture Hour. Principles of ethical behavior in preparation for a professional internship with a construction or construction-related company; various construction company case studies emphasizing personal accountability, integrity, moral courage, individual, association and company codes of conduct; accepted business practices, decision making, company cultures, peer pressure, public opinion. Prerequisite: Admission to upper level in Construction Science.

COSC 410 Design and Construction Leadership Education II

Credit 1. 1 Lecture Hour. Development of competencies in various leadership and management practices that are useful in an array of situations; emphasis on organizational leadership and management development with specific attention to intragroup relationships and techniques for achieving group goals. Prerequisite: COSC 310, CARC majors only pursuing the minor in leadership in the design and construction professions; junior or senior classification.

COSC 411 Seminar in Design and Construction Executive Leadership

Credit 1. 1 Lecture Hour. Promotes an understanding of leadership and builds the capacity to understand and meet the challenges involved in developing and leading ethical and sustainable organizations in today’s economy; examination of theory, conceptualizing, reflection and application; share experiences in everyday life and learn to predict outcomes based on theoretical models. Prerequisite: COSC 410; CARC majors only pursuing the minor in leadership in the design and construction; junior or senior classification.

COSC 421 Soil and Structural Analysis.

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Advanced structural analysis of steel and concrete members with an introduction to soil properties and constituents; utilizations of computer analysis tools. Prerequisite: COSC 321.

COSC 440 Interdisciplinary Capstone

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. A senior capstone for students preparing to enter the designbuild sector of the construction industry; integration of the design and construction processes into a single, cohesive project delivery system, starting with project inception, and carrying through construction, operation and maintenance of various types of construction projects. Prerequisite: COSC 475; must be taken in graduating semester.

COSC 441 Residential Capstone

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. A senior capstone course for students preparing to enter the residential construction industry; project management of residential projects, including market analysis, site analysis, residential design, building codes, estimating, scheduling, financing, subcontracting, marketing, business planning and current trends in design and construction. Prerequisite: COSC 475; must be taken in graduating semester.

COSC 442 Commercial Capstone

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. A senior capstone course for students preparing to enter the commercial construction sector; project management of commercial construction projects, including aspects of design, bidding/estimating; presentation, value engineering, contracts/negotiation, subcontractor relations, cost controls, management during construction, close out, and post-construction requirements. Prerequisite: COSC 475; must be taken in graduating semester.

COSC 443 Industrial Capstone

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. A senior capstone course for students preparing to enter the industrial construction sector; project management of industrial construction projects including project acquisition, planning and staffing, engineering, procurement, construction, start-up, close out, operations and maintenance, and turn-arounds. Prerequisite: COSC 475; must be taken in graduating semester.

COSC 446 Specialty Capstone

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Senior capstone course for students preparing to enter the mechanical, electrical or other specialty construction company; project management of specialty contracts including project acquisition, schematic system design, estimating/bidding, scheduling, systems integration, value engineering, management during construction of crews and procurement, contract administration, business planning and current industry issues. Prerequisite: COSC 475; must be taken in graduating semester.

COSC 450 Facility Management Principles and Practices

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Principles of facility management; the life cycle of a project; strategic planning; performance measurements; life cycle cost approach; building sustainability; maintenance management; and industry practices. Prerequisite: Admission to upper level in construction science or minor in facility management.

COSC 459 Industrial Construction

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Industry specific knowledge such as concepts of developing construction management strategies of industrial projects, materials and methods, structural and mechanical components; preparation to effectively resolve challenges faced in the industrial construction sector. Prerequisites: Admission to upper level in construction science; COSC 375.

COSC 461 Building Information Modeling System

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration of a data-rich, object-oriented, and parametric digital representation of the facility, from which views and information can be extracted and analyzed for construction project acquisition, planning, and control. Prerequisite: Admission to upper level in Construction Science.

COSC 463 Introduction to Construction Law

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Introduction to basic contract and tort issues and their application in the construction industry; delineation of the various types of contracts and remedies available to parties involved in a construction project; additional related topics including bidding, delays, mechanics liens, site conditions, warranties and the Uniform Commercial Code as it relates to the construction industry, introduction to legal research and reasoning as used by professional constructors. Prerequisite: Admission to upper level in Construction Science.

COSC 464 Construction Safety II

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Administration and application of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act in the construction industry; includes OSHA standards, the general duty clause, competent person and hazard identification; fulfills the requirements for the thirty-hour OSHA, CPR and First Aid certifications. Prerequisite: Admission to upper-level in construction science; COSC 184.

COSC 465 Advanced Topics in Construction Law

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Legal issues affecting construction, including the parties to construction work, contracting, responsibilities and risk, risk management, damages, handling of claims and disputes, indemnification, bonds, insurance, bankruptcy, labor and employment, and subcontract management; litigation and alternative dispute resolution methods regularly used in the construction industry. Prerequisite: COSC 463.

COSC 468 Risk Management in the Built Environment

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Decision-making and risk analysis concepts in the context of the built environment and construction projects; major categories and tools of risk management regularly used in the construction industry such as contracts, insurance and bonds. Prerequisites: Admission to upper level in construction science and COSC 463 or concurrent enrollment.

COSC 473 Built Environment in International Setting

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Survey of the built environment and how changing global societies have adapted in design, labor and materials used; exposure to to opinions and practices in the areas of politics, culture, gender and religion. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior construction science majors or instructor approval.

COSC 474 Facility Management Internship

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. An internship (10 weeks, 400 hours) in a facility management related position that exposes the student to facility management activities; daily logs, monthly reports, final report and completion letter required; distance education off-campus course; does not satisfy College of Architecture semester away requirement. Prerequisites: COSC 450; approval of internship faculty coordinator.

COSC 475 Construction Project Planning

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 3 Lab Hours. Development of parameter cost estimates for activities that relate to the construction of a building project; work packages sequenced, planned and leveled to develop a working project execution document; development of procedures to monitor actual field progress. Prerequisite: COSC 353, COSC 375.

COSC 477 Construction Project Controls

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Introduction to construction related financial documents including schedule of values, labor and operations cost reports, income statements, balance sheets and construction budgets; emphasis on the development of techniques required to effectively monitor the financial aspects of a construction project. Prerequisite: COSC 353 and COSC 494.

COSC 481 Seminar

Credit 1. 1 Lecture Hour. Seminar discussion of construction equipment selection, utilization maintenance and operating cost. Prerequisite: Admission to upper level in Construction Science.

COSC 484 Internship - 10 Week

Credits 3. 3 Other Hours. An internship (10 weeks, 400 hours) with a construction or construction-related company that exposes the student to construction-related activities; daily logs, monthly reports, final report and completion letter required; distance education course with non-resident status; does not satisfy the College of Architecture semester away requirement. Prerequisites: COSC 184 and COSC 284; approval of internship faculty coordinator.

COSC 485 Directed Studies

Credits 1 to 5. 1 to 5 Other Hours. Special problems in building construction. Prerequisite: Admission to upper-level in Construction Science.

COSC 489 Special Topics in...

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Lecture Hours. Selected topics in an identified field of construction science. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Admission to upper-level in Construction Science.

COSC 491 Research

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Other Hours. Research conducted under the direction of faculty member in construction science. May be repeated 2 times for credit. Registration in multiple sections of this course is possible within a given semester provided that the per semester credit hour limit is not exceeded. Prerequisites: Admission to upper level in Construction Science and approval of instructor.

COSC 494 Internship

Credits 6. 6 Other Hours. An internship (15 weeks, 600 hours) with a construction or construction-related company that exposes the student to construction-related activities, daily logs, monthly reports, final report and completion letter required; distance education course with non-resident status. No other TAMU courses may be taken while enrolled in COSC 494. Prerequisites: COSC 284, COSC 353, and COSC 375; approval of internship faculty coordinator.

Anand, Binay, Visiting Lecturer
Construction Science
DEN, University of Houston, 2004

Andrews, William, Visiting Lecturer
Construction Science
JD, University of Houston Central Campus, 1978

Aryal, Ashrant, Assistant Professor
Construction Science
PHD, University of Southern California, 2020

Behzadan, Amir H, Professor
Construction Science
PHD, University of Michigan, 2008

Birdwell, Randall P, Associate Professor of the Practice
Construction Science
BEN, Texas A&M University, 1978

Boldt, Gary L, Senior Lecturer
Construction Science
BS, Texas A&M University, 1983

Burrescia, John, Lecturer
Construction Science
MS, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009

Carlson, Kimberly A, Senior Lecturer
Construction Science
MAR, Texas A&M University, 2002

Choi, Kunhee, Professor
Construction Science
PHD, University of California at Berkeley, 2008

Cokinos, Gregory, Part-Time Lecturer
Construction Science
JD, South Texas College of Law, 1982

Cooke, Guy, Visiting Lecturer
Construction Science
BS, Texas A&M University, 1980

Coussons, Donna, Assistant Instructional Professor
Construction Science
MED, Sam Houston State University, 2016

Daigneault, Melissa S, Lecturer
Construction Science
JD, Wake Forest University School of Law, 2003

Delgado, Steven, Part-Time Lecturer
Construction Science
BS, Texas A&M University, 2009

Dietz, Carlen, Visiting Lecturer
Construction Science
MS, Texas A&M University, 2021

Dixit, Manish K, Associate Professor
Construction Science
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2013

Dudley, Drew, Part-Time Lecturer
Construction Science
MEN, Texas A&M University, 2012

Ellis, Avery, Part-Time Lecturer
Construction Science
MS, Texas A&M University, 2019

Ellis, Debra R, Senior Lecturer
Construction Science
JD, Baylor University, 1993

Escamilla Jr, Edelmiro E, Instructional Associate Professor
Construction Science
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2011
MAR, Texas A&M University, 2002

Feigenbaum, Leslie H, Senior Lecturer
Construction Science
MS, Texas A&M University, 1985

Fickel, Larry W, Senior Lecturer
Construction Science
BS, Texas A&M University, 1981

Fleming, David, Visiting Associate Professor of the Practice
Construction Science
BS, Texas A&M University, 1975

Guerra Santos, Hernan, Senior Lecturer
Construction Science
MS, Texas A&M University, 2003

Ham, Youngjib, Associate Professor
Construction Science
PHD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2015
MAR, Seoul National University, Korea, 2011

Hanks, Michael, Visiting Lecturer
Construction Science
BS, Texas A&M University, 1979

Hartell, Julie Ann, Assistant Professor
Construction Science
PHD, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, 2014

Holliday, Ashton, Visiting Lecturer
Construction Science
MAR, Texas A&M University, 2016

Houston, Jonathan, Senior Lecturer
Construction Science
BEN, Texas A&M University, 2007

Jeong, Hyungseok David, Professor
Construction Science
PHD, Purdue University, 2005

Kang, Ho-Yeong, Associate Professor
Construction Science
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2001

Lavy, Sarel, Professor
Construction Science
PHD, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Israel, 2006

Lewis, Michael P, Associate Professor
Construction Science
PHD, North Carolina State University, 2009

Marraro, Anthony R, Senior Lecturer
Construction Science
MS, Texas A&M University, 1997

McCloskey, Aarika, Part-Time Lecturer
Construction Science
JD, Southern Methodist University, 2014

McGowan, Anne B, Instructional Professor
Construction Science
MS, Texas A&M University, 1976

Morgan, Alex, Assistant Instructional Professor
Construction Science
MBA, American Military University, 2017

Nnaji, Chukwuma, Assistant Professor
Construction Science
PHD, Oregon State University, 2018

Orieka, Okeoghene, Visiting Lecturer
Construction Science
MS, University of Illinois, 2016

Palmer, Richard C, Senior Lecturer
Construction Science
BS, Texas A&M University, 1988

Pouland, Kendall, Visiting Lecturer
Construction Science
BS, Texas A&M University, 2003

Rocchio, Leland, Visiting Lecturer
Construction Science
PHD, Our Lady of the Lake University of San Antonio, 2015

Rodgers, William S, Professor of the Practice
Construction Science
JD, Texas Tech University, 1978

Russell, Richard, Visiting Lecturer
Construction Science
MBA, Texas A&M University, 1997

Rybkowski, Zofia K, Associate Professor
Construction Science
PHD, University of California at Berkeley, 2009
MAR, Harvard University, 1991

Ryoo, Boong Y, Associate Professor
Construction Science
PHD, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1995

Simms, Lance Eric, Senior Lecturer
Construction Science
MS, Texas A&M University, 2000

Suermann, Patrick C, Associate Professor
Construction Science
PHD, University of Florida, 2009

Wang, Xi, Assistant Professor
Construction Science
PHD, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, 2022

Whitman, John M, Lecturer
Construction Science
BS, Texas A&M University, 1989

Zhang, Zhenyu, Assistant Professor
Construction Science
PHD, University of Washington, 2021
MAR, Chongqing University, 2016